Piggy and Jesse - The Cat that Sniffed a Cancerous Tumor

Piggy and Jesse are two Tonkinese cats that came into the lives of Lynda Larsen and her husband, Steve, after their previous feline companion passed away. They were picked up by Lynda nine years ago at their neighborhood pet shop.

The normal morning routine of these two cats is to climb into bed with Lynda and Steve playfully prodding them to wake up and get breakfast. However, on one particular Sunday morning, Piggy was a little more aggressive with his prodding and seemed to be focused on Lynda's left breast, kneading it with his forehead and gently clawing at it. Lynda decided to take a closer look, and felt a lump in her breast. She immediately went to the doctor and in a few days was on the operating table having surgery after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent months of chemotherapy and rehabilitation, and is now a survivor of breast cancer.

On May 10, Golden Year 5 (2008), when our Association members presented Lynda the Shining World Hero Award for Piggy and Jesse, she was thrilled and surprised by all the gifts including a huge bag of vegetarian cat food, blankets, beds and several of Master's books and DVD's. Lynda commented that Piggy would certainly enjoy the vegetarian food because he loves to eat and that was how he earned his name. She took a picture showing Piggy sharing his bed with their dog and sent it to Master as a thank-you note. Lynda credits her cats for saving her life. Her advice is that when people are sick, animals are perfect companions as they give so much love and comfort. They can sense when you are not feeling well, will snuggle close to you, and when you go away they are always very happy to see you return.

Thank you, Piggy and Jesse, for safeguarding the health of your human companion!